Pay for Organ Donation Gains Traction, but Not at Kidney Foundation

For live donors, I cannot understand why we would not want to offer a financial incentive to donate an organ. Everyone would have the right to decide if they wanted to donate or not. If the economically disadvantaged found that this was a way to obtain addl. money, then all the better for them. It could very well help to provide them the boost they need to change their lives around, which they otherwise might not have.

As for the deceased, we need to change our policy and do as other successful countries do, which is to default to donating an organ unless that person chose to opt out (i.e. via Motor Vehicle Registration). Other countries are far ahead of the US percentage of people who donate organs when they pass away for this very reason.

2:36 am August 16, 2008

DisappointedStudent wrote :

It's sad, but many in the medical establishment are vehemently against this, preferring instead to rely on a (utopian) image of widespread benevolence.
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I've brought up this topic several times in schooling. My take was that it would increase the donor base while providing monetary assistance to families in the unfortunate event of an unexpected death (where most organs are obtained) -- funerals can be very expensive. About 50% of reactions were apathetic while 40% were downright hostile: "You'll create a black market for organ harvesting!" (I learned here that medical students are ignorant of what a black market actually is). "Then only the rich will be able to receive transplants!" (this exemplifies an ignorance of simple economics: 50k to a kidney donor is vastly cheaper than 10 years of dialysis). Perhaps the most astonishing suggestion was that every citizen be "assumed" to be an organ donor unless they go through the red tape to opt out -- an 'implied consent' approach. To which I replied "Is it more distasteful to reimburse a family for a deceased members organs or to harvest body parts without actual consent?" Long way we've come from "my body, my choice" eh?

8:42 am August 16, 2008

Dave Undis wrote :

Allowing people to sell organs would save thousands of lives every year. As the organ shortage continues to grow, public opinion will eventually support a legal organ market and changes in public policy will follow.

In the mean time, there is an already-legal way to put a big dent in the organ shortage -- allocate donated organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die. The United Network for Organ Sharing, which manages the national organ allocation system, has the power to make this simple policy change. No legislative approval is required.

Giving organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors. It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. People who aren't willing to share the gift of life should go to the back of the waiting list as long as there is a shortage of organs.

Americans who want to donate their organs to other registered organ donors don't have to wait for UNOS to act. They can join LifeSharers, a non-profit network of organ donors who agree to offer their organs first to other organ donors when they die. Membership is free at http://www.lifesharers.org or by calling 1-888-ORGAN88. There is no age limit, parents can enroll their minor children, and no one is excluded due to any pre-existing medical condition.

2:30 pm August 20, 2008

slippery slope wrote :

I can see the emergence of Your Kidneys International Exchange (YIKE).

As a nephrologist, I fully support NKF's position. We need to be very careful.

By the way, we also don't provide financial incentive for blood donation.

12:36 am August 25, 2008

to slippery slope wrote :

Do you truly see an equivalence between blood donation (renewable resource, 20 minutes on a table) and kidney donation (full operation, irreplacable organ)?

Consider the ramifications of keeping the organ supply artificially short by banning compensation. As a nephrologist, I would think you'd show a bit more compassion to the plight of patients on dialysis for 10 years, or those hanging on by a thread while playing the odds with no help other than a prayer.

9:57 am December 4, 2008

Lea Jones wrote :

The harvesting of organs from deceased donors for cash is one thing. Volunteering one's own organs (kidneys) while one is ALIVE is another thing entirely.

I am a recent recipient of a kidney donated by a friend. I was at Stage V of kidney failure, perhaps months shy of requiring dialysis. I feel like the luckiest man alive.

My donor and I are interested in promoting the concept of LIVE kidney donors receiving college tuition credits in return for their donations (along the lines of Obama's plans for national service --Peace Corps or military service--resulting in a 'free ride' through college). In order to qualify, the donor would have donate to whoever was the best match (not a friend or relative). In other words, it would be an anonymous donation, though donor and recipient COULD be put in touch with one another.

Consider that a kidney transplanted BEFORE a recipient needed dialysis would sidestep years of decreased productivity on the part of the recipient. Not to mention preventing years of physical PAIN, malaise, dietary restrictions, blood tests, blood pressure (and myriad other) medications, and, of course, the time and unpleasantness of dialysis itself!

all well and good for you but. i thank that a donor should be payed for his kidney because he or she well have totake time off work you know that the donor has bills to pay. the kidney price should be around $50,000 no more no less

7:23 pm February 18, 2009

wag wrote :

As a former "Harvester" &
"Processor" I saw millions made off of donated tissues while the families of donors suffer financial ruin. There should be the option of compensation.

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